A vending machine generally is a controlled inventory storage device or cabinet that allows inventory to be securely stored and dispensed near a point-of-sale and/or point-of-use. The use of vending machines for providing various products, such as soft drinks or snacks, is well known. Typical vending machines provide for a plurality of receptacles (e.g. rows, trays, or columns) for holding units of products, and a dispensing mechanism operable to dispense a product from each receptacle.
A vending machine typically holds a finite number of units of products. The vending machine is typically loaded with a number of units of a variety of different products. For example, a first tray may be loaded with a plurality of units of a first product while a second tray may be loaded with a plurality of units of a second product. Currently, in known applications, users are required to request items from the vending machine individually. Specifically, to date, there are no known vending machine inventory solutions that recognize groups of products that are requested and commonly used together, and which should dispense together automatically. Therefore, it would be advantageous for a vending machine user to be able to automatically receive groups of products that are requested and commonly used together.